All Yellow

Today started out much like a regular day.  I love when they end pleasantly different.  This picture is large for a reason - I needed it for effect.  

I started in St. Louis MO heading to Chicago - late arrival to Chicago began the unraveling of a travellers journey.  I could wait 4 hrs for the next flight directly to White Plains, NY or fly into Laguardia instead in 1 hr.  I voted for LGA instead in an hour.  She booked me, though it was "completely completely full".  I nodded to confirm and didn't ask any questions on that one. 

At the departure gate for Laguardia, there were dozens of people waiting to try to get on the Laguardia flight. It was declared by all as the ONLY flight getting out of Chicago to New York for the day.  Everything else was cancelled coming in and out of LGA for the remainder of the day in anticipation of snow. Ouch.  Double Ouch.  I indeed held a golden ticket. I had slipped through to get confirmed a seat on the only flight leaving for NY amidst a crowd of standby hopefuls.  I wanted to hug someone.

The boards in this photo represent arrivals and departures to/from New York today.  The part I captured was just the A-C cities, nevermind the rest of the alphabet looked the same.  Green is good, red and yellow are bad.

I arrived in NY just as the snow started to fall.  I was humbly reminded -- by long gas lines off the freeway and many downed trees along the way -- that many people are still displaced and without power in the cold. Many drive an hour north just to fill up in order to return back, and even as far as 40 minutes north stations are marked by a telltale sign of yellow caution tape across the entrance to indicate they are out of fuel, knowing they are also 114th on the list for their next fuel delivery. Bless those that work tirelessly to ease the discomfort and help resume normal life in all of nature's mess. I will remain here tonight thinking about all those people still struggling and wishing there was more that I could physically do in my brief time here. 

Though the snow won't last more than a day, it is like a winter wonderland at my hotel window tonight. I hope you too have days that start and end in pleasantly unexpected ways every now and then.

Cheers.

What's Wrong with this Picture

On a recent trip to NY (see prior post about eventful transportation drivers), I again was cared for by a driver encouraged to treat my journey back to Laguardia like a video game, rushing over this way, breaking through that way, forging ahead, slowing down, breaking suddenly, radically, and frequently while the pit of my body desperately awaiting stationary ground. Its only 30 miles or so right.  I can do it on foot, I know I could...  Train? Tuk Tuk?

In general I understand that people sometimes answer the phone while they drive, often even if its deemed illegal.  I attest I have been known to commit this offense.  However, if responsible for another person in the car, a paid customer and cargo or not, I take issue, especially in a place like NY where driving takes on new meaning and requires a whole new level of intense concentration. You've played the game where you follow the ball to answer which of the 3 cups is it under when the music stops, so you know what I mean.  So, what's wrong with this picture?

 "Would you mind not using your phone in route, I asked", cleverly disguising my real question of "what on earth would make you think that using your phone GPS when you have a perfectly good GPS operating as intended and mounted to the dash is a good idea?"  No answer. Oh dear.

I arrived safe enough but I worried about safe enough all the way up 1 flight of stairs and 1 elevator.  And between that and wondering why he had a deodorizer still in the package hanging from the mirror, I ended my day in NYC. 

Despite it all, I was still on track to deliver in-person good night hugs, thanks to calm clear skies above me.  Goodnight friends.

Office Space & Bracelets

If this is the office of the future, I'll need to shape up my act. I must start purging papers and organizing today. And I must eat only carrots. But it's pretty isn't it?! 

Unrelated to the desk specifically, but related to the peace of making due with what you have, my friend Kesnel in Haiti makes small colored bracelets. I have a few extras (red, blue, white etc.), so if anyone would like one let me know and I'll mail it out gratuit (free).  Its embroidery thread around a plastic band that ties in back.  Kesnel makes and sells them to earn extra money. In this pic, he's making mine! In July, I visited his new business - an Internet Cafe and small technology center (PCs, printer, phones) in Montrouis, Haiti.  He's quite a gem, as is Haiti.  Let me know if you would like one.  

A view from the sky

Yes sky and cloud images taken from the plane generally start to look the same, but over the course of the miles, sometimes

there are moments that definately stand out...like a sunset over mid America, the coast line above northwest or southwest Africa, mountains over the western US, a rainbow over Geneva, or a mystery cloud line above the east coast skies. Those have caused me to glance twice and grab my phone. So, despite in-air photography challenges, I managed a few I cared to remember.  It is still one of the most beautiful vantage points in the world.